Educational toy



May 5, 194.

V G. R. ABERNETHY v EDUCATIONAL TOY Filed Oct. 4, 1941 47,

GEORGE K. NEE/warm INVENTOAQ Patented May 5, 1942 barren STATES reraarorrica EDUCATIONAL TOY George R. Abernethy, Charlotte, N. 0. Application October 4, 1941, Serial No. 413,635

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an educational toy and more especially to a pivotally mounted frame adapted to support a plurality of objects such as toy airplanes and the like in a radial position from the pivot point about which the objects rotate.

It is an object of this invention to provide a frame of the class described in which means are provided forquickly and easily varying the radial distance of the objects from the pivot point so that all of the moving parts will be properly balanced about the axis of rotation. Specifically the invention, in part, comprises a horizontally disposed bar having one end thereof supported by a vertical pivot, said bar having pivotally secured to an intermediate portion thereof, a pair of oppositely disposed arms. These arms project beyond the opposite side of the pivot a sufiicient amount to substantially balance the weight of the arms and the bar on the pivot. In other words, the arms and the bar comprise a framework from which suitable toy airplanes or the like are suspended while the frame rotates on the pivot. In order to further balance the structure, means are provided for varying the positions of the outer ends of the arms relative to the pivot or axis of rotation. The variation of the angular position of the arms, effects a balancing adjustment because the center of gravity of the frame is thereby shifted.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an isometric view of my improved educational toy;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken along the line 2-- 2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 1, illustrating the method of mounting the frame upon its pivot;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of the frame as it appears in a collapsed position;

Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating a slightly modified form of my educational toy;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 6-6 in Figure 5.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the numeral I0 denotes a suitable base from which extends a vertically disposed post II. This post has a pivot member I2 extending from the upper end thereof, said pivot member having a pointed upper end which is adapted to fit in one of a plurality of conical cavities such as I4, I5, and IS in a horizontal member such as a nail II. In

the present embodiment of the invention (Figure 1 3), the sharpened pivot member I2 is located in the cavity I4; however, other cavities might be employed, depending upon the adjustment desired. The right hand end of the nail or memberII (Figure 3), is secured in one end of a bar I8, said bar having pivotally secured to the intermediate portion thereof as at I9, a pair of oppositely disposed channel members 20 and 2|. The members 20 and 2| are disposed at an acute angle to that portion of the bar I8 between nail H and pivot point IS.

The bar I8 has a suitable slot 25 in its extreme outer end. Likewise each of the extreme outer ends of the arms 20 and 2l have similar slots 26 and 21 respectively. Each of the slots 25, 26 and 21 are adapted to receive an eye bolt 28 from which is suspended a wire, string or the like 29 and the lower end of this string supportsan object such as a toy airplane 3B. When it is desired to individually adjust the position which each airplane occupies relative to the pivot member I 2, it is only necessary to adjust the eye bolt 28 in the desired slots 25, 26 or 21.

As a further means for adjusting the balance of the frame structure, means are provided for varying the angularity of the arms 20 and M relative to the bar I8. In order to vary this angularity, a suitable bridge member or bar 32 is provided which has a notch 33 in the intermediate portion thereof. This notch receives the bar I8 when in an installed position and at the same time, the ends of the bridge member 32 slidably and frictionally fit into the grooved channel arms 20 and 2I. Bridge member 32 is deflected downwardly in the central portion, that is at notch 33, so that the natural resiliency in the member 32 will normally cause the frictional contact to be present between this notch and the member I8 and also between the lower outer ends of this bar and the channel members 2|) and 2 I. In other words, by deflecting or bending the bar 32 in the center, a spring means is provided for normally holding or binding the members 20, 2| and I8 into a rigid frame.

If it is desired to widen the distance between the free ends of members 20 and 2 I, that is to increase the angularity relative to the member I8, it is only necessary to move the member 32 away from the observer in Figure 1 and thereby spread each of the arms 20 and 2I an equal amount. Of course to decrease the angularity the reverse operation must be effected. The above described operation will simultaneously balance the weight of the arms 20 and 2| and their respective planes 30 on one side of pivot I2, against the bar I8 and its plane 30 on the other side, and thereby produce equilibrium in the rotating assembly. If desired, as for example, when some of the objects 30 differ in weight, the point I2 can be placed in cavity I5 or I6 to more easily effect a balancing operation.

Figures 5 and 6 show a slightly modified form of the invention in which like reference characters will apply to like parts and a description will be made only of the parts which differ in construction. The principal difference between the structure in Figures 5 and 6 and that of the preceding form is the manner in which adjustment of the angularity of arms 25] and 2| relative to bar I8 is effected. It will be noted that the arms 26 and 2| are normally rotated towards each other by means of a suitable tension spring 36, said tension spring having its ends connected to arms 20 and 2| as at 31 and 38 respectively.

In order to limit the inward rotation of members 2B and 2| as a result of spring 36, a suitable bridge 39 is provided, said bridge having an opening 40 therein which encircles the bar I8. The bridge also has restricted end portions 4| and 42 which fit into the channel members 20 and 2! respectively. It is seen that the adjustment of the angularity of members 20 and 2I in this form of the invention can be effected by merely sliding the bar 39 at right angles along the central bar I8 and as this operation is effected, the spring 36 will automatically hold the bar 39 in position.

When the toy is balanced and ready for operation, gradually increasing lateral pressure can be applied to the side of that portion of the nail ll nearest the observer in Figure 1 and when the framework is rotating at the desired speed, the pressure is removed and the framework continues to rotate for a great number of revolutions due to its perfect balance and needle point suspension.

In the drawing and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a pivot member, a substantially horizontal bar mounted near one end for rotation on said pivot member, a pair of oppositely disposed arms pivotally secured to said bar remotely from said pivot member and having the free ends thereof extending to the opposite side of said pivot member, each of said arms forming an acute angle with that portion of said bar disposed between said pivot member and said arm pivot, and means for adjusting the angularity of said arms relative to said bar.

2. A toy comprising a pivot member, a substantially horizontal bar mounted near one of its ends for rotation on said pivot member, a pair of oppositely disposed arms having one of their ends pivotally secured to the other end of said bar and having the free ends thereof extending to the opposite side of said pivot member, each of said arms forming an acute angle with that portion of said bar disposed between said pivot member and said arm pivot, and a spacer bar having the ends thereof slidably secured along the intermediate portions of said arms whereby the angularity between the arms and the horizontal bar may be adjusted.

3. A toy comprising a pivot member, a substantially horizontal bar mounted near one of its ends for rotation on said pivot member, a pair of oppositely disposed arms pivotally secured to said bar remotely from said pivot member and having the free ends thereof extending to the opposite side of said pivot member, each of said arms forming an acute angle with that portion of said bar disposed between said pivot member and said arm pivot, and a spacer bar having the opposite ends thereof slidably secured along the intermediate portions of said arms whereby the angularity between the arms and the horizontal bar may be adjusted, the intermediate portion of said spacer bar being adapted to frictionally engage said horizontal bar to thereby bind the arms and bars into a rigid frame.

4. A toy comprising a pivot member, a substantially horizontal bar mounted near one of its ends for rotation on said pivot member, a pair of oppositely disposed arms pivotally secured at one of their ends to said bar remotely from said pivot member and having the free ends thereof extending to the opposite side of said pivot member, each of said arms forming an acute angle with that portion of said bar disposed between said pivot member and said arm pivot, and a spacer bar having the opposite ends thereof slidably secured along the intermediate portions of said arms whereby the angularity between the arms and the horizontal bar may be adjusted, and spring means for normally urging the free ends of said arms toward each other and against the ends of the spacer bar.

GEORGE R. ABERNETHY. 

